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The following is from an interview that Tito Ortiz recently did with Punch Drunk Gamer: PDG: Hopefully, what do you think of him changing trainers and camps from Juanito Ibarra to Team Wolfslair? Ortiz: Let me explain this to you because it really pisses me off that Ibarra has done what he has done, he is a thief. I have been running training camps for seven years up in Big Bear California and the most that my camp has cost a fighter to attend is $35,000. Ibarra was charging Jackson $65,000 to go to Big Bear. I don't understand that!! He was being very disrespectful and taking advantage of 'Rampage'. Including travel, training partners, food and lodging, the most ever was $35,000, maybe if you flew in more trainers...$40K. Where did that extra money go that Ibarra was charging? 'Rampage' is really pissed and he feels betrayed that he was taken advantage of and I couldn't agree more with him. I don't care if Juanito reads this or hears about it anywhere, he already knows that he is blackballed. I don't care who you are; fighters work very hard for the money they earn and I feel slighted for even knowing Juanito. There has been rumors that some funny buisness was going on between Ibarra and Jackson but it looks like Tito has numbers to back up the rumors.

Nate Marquardt's destruction of the very game Martin Kampmann (13-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC 88 has put the rest of the middleweight division on notice and cemented his status as a top contender.
It's also got Marquardt (27-8-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) thinking about a potential rematch with current champ Anderson Silva.
Marquardt discussed this past weekend's fight and the possibility of second bout with Silva while a guest on Monday’s edition of TAGG Radio (www.taggradio.com), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).
"I felt good during the fight, confident during the fight," Marquardt said of his win over Kampmann. "I just went in and did my game plan."
Many had predicted Marquardt a favorite over the Danish kickboxer, but nobody could have expected the sheer ferocity and the ease with which the Team Jackson member would finish off such a seasoned fighter. Marquardt, sometimes dogged for dragging fights to decisions, has now earned stoppage victories in three of his past four victories.
"When the opportunity is there, I want to take it," Marquardt said. "I have fought a lot of tough guys, but I think I am getting a lot better at being able to finish fights."
Now a mature 29 years old, Marquardt admits he's become a lot more comfortable and patient in the cage. In the past, at the first sign of blood, Marquardt would sometimes launch into a frantic and wild game plan as he chased his opponents.
"I would hurt them, but I would get so excited and just throw wild punches and not land," he said. "In this fight when I had him hurt, I took my time and tried to land my punches."
With a UFC middleweight division thin on top talent, and with Marquardt's eights wins in his past 10 fights (which included a controversial split-decision loss to Thales Leites earlier this year), Marquardt is again in the thick of the title picture.
Having fought the current title-holder once previously, Marquardt knows exactly what Silva brings to the table. Marquardt was stopped in the first round of their encounter in 2007 at UFC 73. Not fazed by the loss, Marquardt welcomes a rematch and believes this time there would be a different outcome.
"I don’t know what the UFC's plans are," he said. "I feel I am ready for Anderson. I learned my lesson the last time I fought him. I feel like I am twice as good and twice as dangerous as before.
"I think it would turn into a war. Right now I am confident in my skills."

Spencer Fisher (21-4) will take on Shannon Gugerty (11-2) -– not Melvin Guillard as originally planned — at UFC 90: “Silva vs. Cote” at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Ill., on October 25, according to the CEO of K.O. Dynasty Sports Mgt., Mickey Dubberly.
No reason is known at this time for the opponent switch, but it appears on the surface to be a much safer fight for “The King.”
Then again … who really knows in this sport.
Fisher is fresh off a unanimous decision win over Jeremy Stephens at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale in June. The Miletich Fighting Systems veteran has won two of his last four bouts, including a rematch against Sam Stout at UFC Fight Night 10 more than one year ago.
He is a former 155-pound contender. And he’ll need to put together back-to-back wins to prove that he still belongs among the division’s elite.
Gugerty made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 14: “Silva vs. Irvin,” submitting fellow newcomer Dale Hartt with a rear naked choke in round one. It marked the eighth straight win for the Total Combat promotion veteran who has finished more than 70 percent of his professional fights by way of submission.
In fact, Gugerty has not lost a bout since meeting up with Cub Swanson back in 2006.

During this past Saturday's UFC 88 event at Atlanta's Philips Arena, as Bruce Buffer bellowed Evans' bio and name during pre-fight introductions, cameras caught Evans licking his fingers and then tweaking his nipples. The strange move has fueled more than a few forum postings -- especially since teammate and current UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre did the same thing before his latest title defense over Jon Fitch.
"Georges St. Pierre was the first do it, and it's just sort of an inside joke," Evans said.
Evans said St. Pierre had heard it was supposed to bring good luck -- according to some ancient fighting myths, anyway. And if there's anything the New Mexico-based Team Jackson group knows, it's unity. Led by famed fight strategist and head trainer Greg Jackson, the team has created a sense of brotherhood among team members Evans, St. Pierre, Keith Jardine, Nate Marquardt, Joey Villasenor and others.
"Georges said it was supposed to good luck or something, so I said, 'Cool, alright,'" Evans said, laughing.
As for the T-shirt, Evans said it was also an inside joke with the team.
"That shirt, it's [Gates'] mugshot," Evans said. "He was arrested in Albuquerque, N.M. He started off Microsoft in the basement of the Bank One Building. That's right next to the (Team Jackson) gym.

Although the event itself is still a rumor right now, it's possible that UFC could hold an event at a military base on December 10, possibly a UFN that would air on Spike similar to an event they did a couple years back. If this event happens, the first fight could be set-Corey Hill vs. Navy veteran Dale Hartt.

The Georgia Athletic Commission has issued medical suspensions to all fighters on UFC 88. Althought he longest was only 60 days, everyone got a minimum 7 day suspension, which is standard procedure for anyone fighting in Georgia.

Lights, Gamera, Action.
It seems the UFC is kicking around the idea of making a run at mixed martial arts in the Land of the Rising Sun. In fact, several of Japan’s media outlets including Nikkan and Houchi Sports have a spring 2009 date for an alleged UFC invasion.
As the mill turns, names are already being paired up for combat. Of course a rematch between Takanori Gomi and BJ Penn is a no-brainer, as is Kid Yamamoto vs Uriah Faber. But appearances by Kazushi Sakuraba and Hidehiko Yoshida aren’t exactly whetting my appetite.
Not that it matters. A Japanese event needs Japanese icons, which describes both Sakuraba and Yoshida. And if the UFC really wants to sell tickets, Hong Man Choi vs. Dalip Singh is a MUST.
While this story has yet to be corroborated by the UFC, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to most MMA fans. On July 11 the UFC signed a contract with WOWOW Broadcasting to air UFC pay-per-views in Japan, and after successful shows in England it seems only fitting for Zuffa to capture the former Mecca of mixed martial arts.
Besides, the way DREAM and Sengoku are performing finacially, they may have little or no competition.

“Matter of fact, I’m wearing his cup. That’s probably why I got the knockout because I’m wearing his cup! I fogot to say that - I’m wearing his cup! We’re brothers…we all just come together and help each other out.”
“Sugar” Rashad Evans reveals his secret weapon against Chuck Liddell during a UFC 88 post-fight interview. Evans shocked the world twice in twenty-four hours. First by knocking out “The Iceman” in brutal fashion at UFC 88 ‘Breakthrough” and then by sharing just how close Team Jackson gets during training. TMI!

MMAWeekly has obtained the fighter salary information from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission for UFC 88 featuring Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans, which took place on Saturday, Sept. 6, at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.
The following figures are based on the fighter salary information that promoters are required by law to submit to the state athletic commissions, including the winners' bonuses.

Matt Hamill lost a fight this past Saturday night to Rich Franklin. There is certainly no shame in that. Franklin is a three-time UFC champion and has only lost to two men in his entire 27 fight career; it's how Hamill lost that has those in his camp concerned.

Update 9:28 PM ET: MMA on Tap has been able to confirm through members of Tanner’s camp that the body found in Palo Verde mountain area was indeed that of Evan Tanner. No other details are available at this time and Tanner’s camp has asked that everyone please respect the wishes of his family at this time. Everyone here at MMA on Tap would like to send our condolences to Tanner’s family and friends.

Im pretty speechless, but i will say that ever since i started watching MMA (2005) i have had the utmost respect for this guy. I remember when i first heard that he taught himself jiu-jitsu just by watching tutorial tapes, then he became the champion! Tanner was always a warrior and my heart goes out to his family.

Not surprisingly, Chuck Liddell was given the most serious of medical suspensions coming out of Saturday's UFC 88 in Atlanta. The former champ is suspended for 60 days and will require a CT Scan or MRI and a neurological evaluation before being cleared to fight again.
Rich Franklin is also suspended for 60 days for the serious cut above his right eye, while opponent Matt Hamill is suspended for 30 days.
Martin Kampmann is suspended 30 days for his TKO loss to Nate Marquardt. According to a post-fight doctor’s report, he had soreness in his jaw and “TMJ tenderness.”
Thiago Tavares is also suspended for 60 days and will require a CT scan to his face to evaluate his nose and “zygomatic arch” before being cleared to fight again.
Michael Patt is suspended for 42 days and will require a CT scan to fight again. He sustained a nasal septal fracture in his fight with Tim Boetsch.
Ryo Chonan is suspended for 42 days due to a large laceration on his right eye.
Matt Brown is suspended for 15 days due to a cut he sustained in his fight with Dong Hyun Kim.
The remaining fighters on the card were suspended for 7 days, standard practice for anyone fighting in the state of Georgia.
A report on the economic activity generated by the event is also forthcoming, said Matthew Carrothers, director of media relations for Secretary of State Karen Handel.

Coming off his first-ever UFC loss -- and just the second defeat of his professional career -- UFC middleweight Martin Kampmann (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) could finally pull the trigger on a move down to welterweight.
Over the weekend, Kampmann told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that he's been considering a drop to 170 pounds.
The Xtreme Couture fighter said he's received encouragement from many of his teammates, including team leader and current UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture.
Kampmann, 26, fought this past weekend at "UFC 88: Breakthrough" in just his second fight back since a significant knee injury (and two subsequent knee surgeries) that kept him sidelined for more than 16 months. Although he returned with a quick submission victory over Jorge Rivera in June, Kampmann suffered a first-round TKO to Nate Marquardt this past weekend.
Kampmann mentioned the possible move to welterweight prior to the loss.
"On the morning of (UFC 88) weigh-ins, Martin was eating breakfast with nothing to worry about," said Kampmann's agent, Ken Pavia. "He's been considering the move for a while now. He's a pretty small middleweight."
Kampmann had been considered a top middleweight contender prior to UFC 88. With the loss, he's now at least a few fights -- and possibly more than a year -- away from a shot at the belt, which is currently held by Anderson Silva.
However, things wouldn't get much easier in the UFC's deep 170-pound division. A small army of contenders -- including Diego Sanchez, Thiago Alves, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Mike Swick, just to name a few -- are jockeying for the chance to fight current title-holder Georges St. Pierre. (St. Pierre, though, is expected to first fight current lightweight champ B.J. Penn on Jan. 31.)

"I think I'm a bad matchup for Matt Hughes," Serra said. "I think he's a one-trick pony, and he's not good at that one trick. If people think that he's putting me to the mat like GSP did, he's not one-third as explosive as GSP. He's not putting me down like that. If he does, I have way better jiu-jitsu than I've shown in my last fight. There's so much stuff, and I want to show that if he does put me down."
Even if Serra defeats Hughes and makes his point, there are no plans on riding off into the sunset. His allure to fight is that strong. It's mightier than creating the next champion, equally hip with becoming an action figure ("I'm going to be a freakin' action figure. That's going to be the coolest thing in the world," Serra said). And almost as powerful as becoming a first-time father.
"Whenever it gets to the point where it's not fun for me and I'm not enjoying it, then maybe I'll think about retiring," Serra said. "As long as there are fights that excite me, I'll be fighting, man."

The Japanese press is reporting that the UFC is looking to put on a mega-event in Japan as early as next spring. Dave Meltzer reported on this a while back.
Word is they're calling out the top Japanese stars and hoping to set up a battle of the Zuffa champs vs the Japanese stars. Dana is apparently hoping to land Kazushi Sakuraba, Kid Yamamoto, Hidehiko Yoshida and Takanori Gomi to face Zuffa's top stars. Presumably they want Urijah Faber vs Yamamoto and B.J. Penn to rematch Takanori Gomi. Not sure who which wolf they want to throw Sakuraba to. And Brock Lesnar vs Hidehiko Yoshida is just too dreadful to contemplate.
Clearly from a business angle they're after the right Japanese fighters, although you could make a case for Yoshihiro Akiyama instead of Sakuraba, both as a draw and as a top fighter. Regardless, it would require getting both DREAM and World Victory Road on board, as well as securing a Japanese TV deal.

It wasn’t an easy job, but former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin got it done, stopping former training partner Matt Hamill with a liver kick in the final round of their UFC 88 fight in Atlanta. The onslaught of takedowns Franklin and many pundits expected never came, and as the fight wore on, his kicks made sure of that. His lone stay on the mat was short lived.
“I just put myself in the mindset that if I ended up on my back I was comfortable there anyway, it didn’t matter to me,” he said. “I assumed that he would probably have several shot attempts that I just wouldn’t be able to defend, because he’s such high caliber wrestler.
Rich franklin talks about mashida later on in the interview. Very good point he makes about having a history of bad luck vs "south paws from chute box"
he is a cool guy. i love that he can joke
oh my sorry i guess i got caught up in the moment

Pointed for many as the best pound for pound MMA fighters, Anderson Silva has no doubts on pointing his favorite athlete in his own division. “Paulão (Paulo Filho) is no comments, he’s complete. I think he’s absolute in this division, there’s nobody to beat him. In my opinion, he’s the best middleweight”, said Anderson, that doesn’t think about unifying the WEC and UFC belts in a fight against Filho.
“I would never fight with Paulão. We almost train together, we’re always helping each other and (Josuel) Distak is our coach. There’s no chance to happen. People can complain, scream, whatever, but it won’t happen”, said the UFC middleweight champion.

Rashad Evans' devastating KO of Chuck Liddell earned him far more than the $60,000 KO Of The Night bonus-it's also earned him a title shot. Dana White confirmed that Evans has earned a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight Title, but didn't mention exactly when. Rumors are it could be at UFC 92 in December.

Rashad Evans took the heat in “Hot-lanta” to a whole new level on Saturday night as the Ultimate Fighting Championship descended on Atlanta. He spent the first round being stalked by former UFC champion Chuck Liddell, but didn’t wait long to score the “Knockout of the Night” in round two